One of the questions we get asked is how we cook so much wonderful food and have a smaller apartment kitchen with limited space. All of these items would take up a lot of room in cabinets and an apartment kitchen is mall to say the least, ha. At the house we sold, we had plenty of room and a new house at the farm will have a kitchen of our dreams but at the apartment, we had to get creative.
The unit we have now is a one bedroom but it has a "study" with a large pocket door off the kitchen. To us, it seemed the perfect extension of the kitchen. The room is small, but because it is a "study", it had a regular closet and that gave me an idea for storage.
There was only a top shelf and a second shelf for hanging clothes. I had them remove the rod and put in four more shelves all the way down. I measured them to make sure we had the space for our tallest appliances and told them how far apart to put them.
Behold! The appliance garage!
Let's take a tour:
Starting at the top:
That very top shelf, since it's a little hard to reach,, holds the lightweight things like cake carriers, cupcake holders, pie carrier, etc up and out of the way until needed. Below that is the first of the appliances and gadgets. Sandwich griller, Crockpot, a coffee grinder that we bought to use only as our herb/spice grinder, and a knife sharpener.
Under that are two more shelves. These had to be a certain distance apart to fit the tallest appliances. We have a blender and a Vitamix. We use the blender when we have something simple to mix up like sauces without needing the power of the Vitamix (which we use for soups, nut butters, etc). Lastly, a four slice toaster and our juicer. Hanging on the side of the shelf is a folding pasta drying rack.
Below that is our cookie dough mixer. Yes, we have our Kitchenaid stand mixer as well (out on the baking table) but 2nd Man likes this one with its great design for making cookie doughs. Then our food processor and a waffle maker. Those two blender like containers are different types for the Vitamix above.
Below that is another shelf and then the floor of the closet. On the shelf is the vacuum sealer and it's accessories, our pressure cooker (a hard to find oval which we LOVE) and our halogen infrared countertop oven (the OG air fryer, ha).
On the floor is mostly the canning supplies. My large pot for the jars (all accessories such as lifter, rack etc are inside it), the "Jam Pan" for jelly/jam making, an induction burner so I can do all this on the counter or away from the kitchen, and then the dehydrator.
Close the doors, and everything is neat and tidy, just waiting to be used!
I did the entire room as a surprise for 2nd Man. We had said we'd use it as a kitchen extension after we moved in, but he didn't have a clue I was going to finish it one day when he was at work. I'll get some more before and after pictures when I did it (it's been a couple years now).
So we are creative in our storage and organizing solutions, which will come in handy!
A very creative way in using your closet space. All nice and neat and out of sight and a saver in keeping most / all of them small appliances off the counter taking up space. Great job.
ReplyDeleteNoticed that you have 2 empty hooks on outside of your closet door for hanging aprons or whatever.
On outside or the inside of them doors you could mount magnetic metal, cork, or small baskets for maybe some smaller items.
Enjoy your evening.
Very nice! I have a small kitchen but no spare closet. I have to carry my extras up and down the ships ladder! I do make good use of the dead space inside the dishwasher though.
ReplyDeleteI live in a small apartment with a small kitchen and pitiful pantry! I put a baker's rack in the hall closet, it fits perfectly, and is being used as my pantry ... holding canned goods, some pots and pans, various appliances, my vacuum, laundry products. The top shelves are used for coffee, paper towels, Kleenex, and my toolbox, and duct tape!
ReplyDeleteYou learn how to utilize space the most efficient way you can! You did a magnificent job on your closet!
You did a really great job with the appliance garage. It’s organized so well. What a nice surprise for 2nd Man!
ReplyDeleteI have a laundry room adjoining my kitchen. So I added some shelves in it for extra appliances and pantry items. It’s so convenient.
Once, I converted a closet to shelves. I measured, had boards cut to length, cut quarter round to screw on walls to hold shelves, making them removable in the future. Then, I had a guy friend come and attach the quarter round with my drill. I cooked him dinner for his effort. That man would work for my cooking.
ReplyDeleteThere is no place to convert here. I keep extra kitchen food and appliances in an extra bedroom. I am in the thinking stage of buying cabinet things, floor type cabinets to keep things out of sight and off counters or floor or out of bedroom.
That is a lot of appliances! But, they all look useful. I have a coffee grinder for spice and things other than coffee. I have a coffee grinder, too. The cookie blender sounds intriguing. Can you tell us more?
That's a fantastic idea. Filled with fantastic appliances! You've inspired me to think reorganizing my kitchen should be one of my winter projects this year.
ReplyDelete